Raymus Elios and Zarion descend on the outskirts of the village The village was relatively quiet covered in a light mist and the residents looked at them with suspicion
Elios steps forward with calm steps and says in a quiet but firm tone
Elios
Remember we are not here to cause trouble We just want information and we act with all respect
His gaze was directed specifically at Raymus
Raymus crosses his arms and answers with cold lethality
Raymus
Fine I will not do anything unless someone provokes me Then I will not guarantee anything remains standing
Then he adds while looking at the cloudy sky
We have been here for a long time and have not obtained any result If the situation continues like this I will bring down this planet and leave
Zarion laughs lightly while placing his hand on his sword
Zarion
Let us hope that the people of this village are more cooperative than their predecessors
The following scene – Inside the village
The trio starts wandering inside the village Elios asks one of the elderly men
Elios
Excuse me uncle is there a village elder We want to talk to him
The man
Yes we have an elder he lives in a hut on the outskirts of the village there next to the ancient Krossa tree
Then he adds after hesitation
I can take you to him if you want
Elios
Grateful to you
Raymus waves his hand
Raymus
I will wander around the place if you need me you know how to find me
He sets off slowly his eyes watching the residents sharply
While Elios and Zarion follow the man until they reach a small wooden hut covered with branches and wild flowers An old sheikh with a white beard and shining eyes opens the hut and says smiling
The Sheikh
Welcome strangers please our house is your house
Zarion as they enter
Zarion
Let us hope that what we are looking for is finally here
After Elios and Zarion sat before the old man he placed two cups of hot tea in front of them with a calm smile on his face The scent of herbs filled the small hut and silence enveloped the place except for the sound of wood breaking in the stove
The old man leaned forward slightly and said in a curious tone
So what is the reason for your coming to this remote village
Elios smiled a calm smile and said
Just a visit no more
The old man laughed a short laugh while shaking his head then looked at them with shining eyes saying
No this is not the real reason do not worry you can speak frankly For I am an old man but I read faces well
Elios and Zarion exchanged a quick look then Elios decided to speak honestly
Well we came looking for the Life Cube for our own reasons
A short silence prevailed before the old man burst into a loud laugh even his body leaned slightly while placing his hand on his stomach saying in a sarcastic tone
The Life Cube hahaha You are not the first to come asking about it but only a few know the truth of what it is or where it is located
Zarion said in a sharp tone
Sir do you know the location of the stone
The old man smiled a mysterious smile and replied
Yes I know its location and I also know who will get it in the end
The two exchanged looks of amazement then one of them asked immediately
And who is he Who will take it
The old man shook his head slowly and said
That is not important now
But the old mans eyes caught a hidden confusion in their features so he stepped forward and asked
Tell me do you know a person named the Cypher
The two looked at each other in amazement then one of them said
The Cypher What is this thing anyway
Signs of wonder appeared on the old mans face
Strange You are from the Celestines and you do not know the liberator of your people
Zarion frowned and said sharply
Liberator of our people Our people were exterminated a long time ago
The old man bowed his head slightly as if searching his memory then whispered
Wondrous
He went silent for a moment before changing the subject and said in a serious tone
The stone is in a distant place in the depths of one of the deserts of this planet It is guarded by the Star Wizard the most powerful creature of the Akrit
Zarion tightened his grip
Star Wizard
The old man continued in a solemn voice
Yes and he does not leave his place waiting for an order that no one knows waiting for something that will change everything
In another part of the village Raymus was wandering between the narrow alleys his eyes scanning the faces around him Little by little he began to notice that all the eyes of the Akritians were directed towards him looks of curiosity and fear mixed with caution
He stopped suddenly stared at them all then growled in an icy voice
Stop looking at me or I will destroy you all
His words were like a sword making the crowd retreat rapidly as if a violent wind had blown them
But as soon as he began to step again he spotted from afar a group of Kaisers soldiers entering the village with steady steps their harsh faces covered by black armor
He growled between his teeth
Damn when did these arrive
In a moment he lowered his energy to the lowest level and slipped between the shadows avoiding any movement that might reveal him He began to run lightly towards the old mans house where Elios and Zarion are located
He pushed the door hard entered quickly and his voice rose sharply
We must leave immediately Kaisers soldiers are in the village
But their response was not as he expected both refused to flee
Elios said coldly
I will not leave these people like this
Zarion added his eyes gleaming
If we flee no one here will have a chance
Anger ignited in Raymus features
You are crazy What will you benefit from the Akrit anyway Do you think you will change anything
But their stubbornness was an immovable rock He found nothing but to scream angrily and turn to leave
And he soared into the sky moving away from the village quickly leaving behind a mixture of anger and anxiety
After Raymus moved away in the sky Elios stood looking towards the open hut door and said in a low voice but full of concern
Damn these soldiers really arrived here
Zarion exhaled sharply his eyes narrowing
Damn their combined combat levels exceed us all
Then the old man stepped forward with heavy steps his face carrying the features of someone who knows the end is near and said in a deep voice
Listen please take this map It leads directly to the Life Cube
Elios hesitated while staring at the old paper in the old mans hands
Why are you giving it to us
The old man smiled a sad smile
Please if you reach it restore life to our planet before destruction consumes it And now leave I will distract them myself
Elios shook his head stubbornly
What are you talking about We will not leave you like this and go
But the old man raised his hand interrupting
No you will not be able to do anything Please at least until the Cypher appears there is no hope for our people to survive now Take the map and when the time comes restore life to the planet
Elios hesitated for seconds his heart screaming refusal but his mind knows that staying means doom Finally he took the map tightened his grip on it then set off with Zarion quickly moving away from the village with heavy steps full of bitterness
As for the old man he headed with steady steps towards the village square to face the soldiers face to face
A short time after flying over the distant forests Elios could not help himself from turning back
And then he saw the scene that broke his heart
A massive explosion swallowing the whole village tongues of flame rising to the sky black smoke covering the horizon and the smell of burning and death spreading with the wind
He stopped for a moment swallowed his grief but his tears were there trapped behind his cold stares He did not show any breakdown in front of Zarion but his inside was boiling with oppression knowing that he was unable to save them and that he had nothing but to move forward
Forgive me
He whispered it in his heart then tightened his grip more on the map and set off towards the unknown
Elios and Zarion sat in a small valley between the towering rocks resting after long flying and facing dangers
Elios took out the old map placed it on a flat stone and began to scrutinize it carefully Their gazes reflect exhaustion but carry hope in completing the journey towards the Life Cube
On the other side of the planet Raymus was standing at a quiet river filling his bottle with cold water
But the calm of the place did not last long as suddenly a large group of Kaisers soldiers appeared before him surrounding him from every side
Raymus tried to fight with all his strength but he was surprised by the large level difference and the number of his enemies which led to his crushing with destructive speed
He lost consciousness and was dragged shackled towards Kaisers base where he informed him of Raymus condition saying
That boy was looking for the Cube he tried to disturb the peace of our plans and spoiled a lot for us
Kaiser stood thinking then said angrily
I made a mistake when I allowed that Celestine insect to leave previously
And he ordered immediately
Throw this dog into a dark cell and never let him out until we interrogate him later about the location of his companions
Thus the conflict began to intensify and darkness fell on Raymus in his new cage while the journey of Elios and Zarion continues amidst the dangerous deserts
Kaiser entered his daughters room where he found Arisa immersed in crushing Arios hitting him with strong merciless blows and the Akritian child was treating him carefully under her supervision
Kaiser stood in his place stunned trying to comprehend what was happening then said in a serious tone
Arisa you must hand Arios over to me immediately he cannot be trusted anymore I will take him and put him in prison
Arisa replied coldly unconcerned
And what does that have to do with me Go yourself and look for those dogs and deal with them Do not involve me in your follies and stay away from my property father
Kaisers anger intensified and he shouted in her face
You are punished and you will return to our planet immediately And Arios will be taken from me to confess the location of his companions
Suddenly an angry aura ignited around Arisa the whole place shook from the power of her massive anger even Kaiser himself began to tremble and sweat feeling the weight of her energy
As for Arios despite his weak state he felt that terrifying energy and realized perfectly that Arisa is not an ordinary person
However Kaiser began trying to calm her down and went back on his words realizing that the confrontation with her is not an easy task
After Arisa calmed down a little she looked at her father with a firm look and said
I am the one who will find the two and you do not touch Arios do not approach him and do not touch his favorite piece for you know its value well
Then without waiting for a response she turned and left the room and flew from the base at a crazy speed towards the other side of the planet leaving behind an aura of anger and determination
As for Kaiser he grabbed the injured Arios firmly and threw him into a cold isolated cell He had no time for mercy so he began to torture him fiercely pressing him with all his strength to reveal the location of his friends but Arios remained steadfast refusing to answer
After a while Raymus also woke up but was not in a better state Immediately Kaiser proceeded to beat the two with the Akritian child who was with them in the cage The blows were violent each of them endured the pain in silence but without an answer
With the passage of time fatigue began to control Kaiser from the amount of power he exerted in vain so he stopped the torture angry and frustrated and left the cell without any notable result leaving the three to suffer in silence
While pain squeezed their bodies inside the worn out cell Raymus dared in pain and said in a trembling voice
Hey Arios how are you still alive until now I thought they would kill you as soon as we left here
Arios laughed with bitterness and pain and answered with confidence despite the pain
Do not worry I am Arios you fool I will not be killed easily
The two laughed indifferently then the Akritian child rose calmly despite his injuries and began to treat Arios with precise movements and high skill
With the passage of time Arios regained his vitality so he smiled and thanked the child
Then Arios asked the child to treat Raymus who in turn was recovered and felt his strength rising
Raymus felt his new strength and told Arios
My power has risen from 30000 to 200000 perhaps thanks to the serious injuries I received
As for Arios he reached the limits of 3000000 energy units and decided that the time has come to escape
He raised his hand suddenly and fired a violent energy strike that destroyed the entire cell ceiling leaving a cloud of dust and debris
He carried the child in his arms then he and Raymus soared with crazy speed towards the sky moving away from the base at maximum speed
As for Kaiser and his soldiers they arrived to find the cell completely destroyed and were shocked how a group of children did that
Kaiser ordered with overwhelming anger
Search for them Kill them all immediately Do not leave any of them alive
After their escape from the base the three landed carefully at the entrance of a wide cave where its thick shadows and deep emptiness provided them with a temporary sanctuary from the danger of pursuit
They all sat inside the cave and a heavy silence prevailed for a few moments then Raymus began to speak to Arios in a quiet voice but loaded with feeling
When we came out of the last confrontation the situation was very tense and I acted violently when I destroyed one of the Akrit villages I know that was reckless but it was necessary to show our strength
Arios look carried a mixture of anger and concern but he did not respond at once trying to understand the dimensions of matters Raymus despite his cruelty was trying to maintain his pride and calm before Arios
At that moment Arios noticed an unusual movement in the sky He raised his eyes sharply and saw clearly Kaisers men flying in their direction quickly
But Raymus despite his combat experience did not feel any trace of them which raised Arios amazement and he realized immediately that the extent of his sensitivity and energy awareness increased significantly than before and he became even calmer and more focused
However the three decided to continue hiding inside the cave taking extreme caution because the confrontation now might be catastrophic if it happened at this time
The moment was a deadly silence but a silence filled with anticipation and fear of what is to come .